Summary
Though a game in its own right,Squadron 42is considered to be the single-player component toStar Citizen, and this year’s CitizenCon has confirmed that the project is entering the final stages of development through the debut of a deep dive video.Star Citizenis a title that has seen an unprecedented amount of feature creep over the years. Some see it as a cautionary tale, others view it as the finest tech demo in gaming history. WhileStar Citizencontinues to release updatesthat expand its already ambitious scope, few can deny just how awe-inspiring some of its content is.
With no release in sight, andover $500 million raised forStar Citizenin crowdfunding, it is the most expensive video game project of all time, far eclipsing the costly budget ofStar Wars: The Old Republic. The money accumulated by Cloud Imperium Games was liberally spent on the development of bothSquadron 42andStar Citizen, as the single-player campaign famously boasts a star-studded cast of Hollywood actors and actresses such as Gary Oldman, Jillian Anderson, and Mark Hamill.
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WhileSquadron 42was originally announced with a 2014 release in mind, theStar Citizenspinoff has seen numerous delays over the years, and many players were wondering if it would ever come out. However, at this year’s CitizenCon, Chris Roberts and Cloud Imperium Games gave fans their biggest glimpse intoSquadron 42’s development in years through the release of an official 20-minute deep dive. From cutscenes to gameplay,Squadron 42looks like a far more polished title than when players saw it last, even though it’s still missing a release date.
Chris Roberts confirmed thatSquadron 42has entered the polishing phase of its development, as the team has shifted its focus on optimizing and fine-tuning the game’s intimidating list of features. Just how long this may take is anyone’s guess, and players shouldn’t expect to seeSquadron 42release any time soon. That being said, many fans seemed excited over the gameplay improvements made forSquadron 42, especially its gunplay and ship battles. Juxtaposed against the static take on space combat andexploration inStarfield, players couldn’t help but feel impressed at how dynamicSquadron 42looked by comparison.
However, as wondrous as the deep dive may have been, the gaming community remains cautious when it comes to theStar Citizenbrand. Though it saw the implementation of groundbreaking technology such asStar Citizen’s Persistent Entity Streaming, the game has remained in perpetual Alpha since 2015. WhileStar Citizenmay still be several years away from having a release date, the developers have shown thatSquadron 42is a few steps closer to delivering the experience it promised to Kickstarter backers over a decade ago.
